The Setting Sun
by Raven's cauldron
Summary: He longs for it; the glistening golden light of day. She just wants to end it all and embrace dark oblivion...dark themes GrimmRuki
1. Chapter 1 Torn

If a life could be measured in heart beats, one for every moment of joy and every aching second of sorrow then she could have considered her life over. But as she contemplated the gray asphalt below and people no bigger than tiny ants, her mind wavered once.

Once.

_He_ wouldn't have wanted her life to be given away so easily.

Her eyes closed and her navy skirt swirled in the cool air whooshing past her bare legs and extended arms on the narrow back of the Griffin jutting from the side of Kurosaki Enterprises. Of which the chairman's son…_her fiancé_…was dead.

Dead at Twenty-four, his life taken by a drunk driver on a calm Saturday night, one that he'd been leaving the office late…hurrying to go home to her. Isshin had broken the news to her over the phone; he was at the hospital waiting while his only son was rushed into emergency surgery.

Remembering those bleak, hopeless hours in the austere open-area corner, the hard impersonal stares given to her by the attending nurses even as they asked, "and who are you?" as Ichigo breathed his last. His father was there while the white-coats kept strict watch with only _family_ being permitted inside.

Her mind replayed these things and her violet eyes closed as strains of misery permeated her being. Slowly she slid one foot forward on the cold gunmetal gray stone, her toes digging in the grooves then she took a solid step forward. And another. And another till she was at the very edge of the Griffin's head.

She took a deep breath in and threw herself from the statue…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The window casing creaked open with a giant yawn, two large hands braced themselves on the peeling painted wood of the sill and sniffed the air. The man lowered his head of short teal locks and growled, showing his disgust of the foul, filthy humans polluting the atmosphere. Another glance told him exactly what he wanted to know.

It was sundown already.

He crawled out onto the ledge, adroitly aiming a swift kick to the higher counterpane, falling as it did so effectively hiding his lair. The man then stood up, his balance perfect on the narrow white board, his flat chiseled abs peeking out from the open black-collared jacket he wore. His feet swung back and forth, gaining momentum then he jumped, sparing not a single move as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop.

His senses tingled and he skidded to a stop, probing this source more thoroughly. _Ahead_. That was what he thought. He crossed another row of buildings of various heights, his teal eyes scanning the distance until they alighted upon a girl—woman actually. Taking a few steps forward and then pitching herself from the darkening head of a Griffin statue.

The last rays of light skittered, illuminating her tiny form falling fast, instinctively he ran. His feet left the rooftop, his body tucked into a roll, tumbling through the air like an acrobat. He gauged the distance between them and aimed his upper torso toward her. Heavily he latched onto her, with one arm secured around her tiny waist, the other catching a handhold onto the glass sheeted building façade; her body went limp.

A small head of raven hair lolled and Grimmjow Jeagerjaques sighed. All he'd wanted was a single Goddamn snack and in the end he'd saved a girl from suicide. Was that anyway for any self-respecting Vampire to start his day?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

AN: I do not own Bleach. Again let's just see how it turns out, shall we? Please review.


	2. Chapter 2 What's this life for

Her back, through the navy sweater was pressed against a hard surface. Her hand twitched, fingers coming to rest against warm flat cement. She groaned, her eyes opening to see a tall man standing over her. "How stupid can you be? Jumping off the building like that?" he demanded; his eyes were a teal blue, she noted, his shock of hair was also that bright unnatural color.

"I'm—not—dead?"

"Of course you are," he said and then sneered when she laid back down, "no. Fool. You aren't. _I_," he added emphasis, "saved you." She sighed, "saved me? How?" The man seemed taken aback for he grew quiet for a minute or so, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "er…well let's just leave it at that. Anyway why were you up there? I mean why did you try to throw away your life like that?"

"It's complicated," she scooted up into a sitting position, the sky overhead dark with the night unveiling itself. The man sat down near her, shooting her little looks and overall letting his curiosity get the better of him. "Grimmjow Jeagerjaques," he said suddenly. She looked up; her violet eyes narrowed a bit, "Grimmjow? That's an odd name. Mine is Rukia. Rukia Kuchiki. I…used to work in an office in that building I tried to jump from. My fiancé was the boss's son but…he died," her voice grew quiet.

"Did you love him?"

Her head shot up, "yes! Of course I did!"

"Well then why were you trying to kill yourself? Hmm? I'm sure what-ever-his-face-was wouldn't have wanted you to do yourself in just…because he wasn't around anymore."

"How can you say that when you didn't even know Ichigo?!"

Dismayed he saw her eyes filling and her lower lip trembling. "You know I'm right," he said evenly. The woman—Rukia turned away, hiding her face from him. Grimmjow glanced upward seeing it getting later, "come on. You should get going…a rooftop is no place to be having a conversation." She got to her feet, "where then?"

Grimmjow hid his surprise well; _she wanted to see him again_?

"Um…there's this place I know of. It's not far from here uh…47th near Kuriya's. Wait on the rooftop at sunset."

"Okay." She didn't seem perturbed about the sunset thing though he was sure she wasn't analyzing anything quite right at the time. Maybe later she'd change…

"Oh…Grimmjow," she called from the top of the fire escape.

"Huh?" he had been preparing to leap off the building but hastily stepped away at her curious look.

"Just _how did_ you save me?"

"That, Rukia. I _can't_ tell you," and he gave a short bark of laughter.

To be continued

AN: hmph too short. Anyway um, well reviews are appreciated. Note: should Ichigo reappear later to cause trouble for Grimm?


	3. Chapter 3 Hunter

_I can't tell you._

Just what the hell did that mean?

She puzzled over his words again and again, unsure of his mysterious meaning. The store clerk rang up her purchases, swiping the plastic containers efficiently over the red flashing bar scanner. It was the next day and three o'clock, a voice message on her answering machine that morning had excused her from the day's office meeting, requesting she take the rest of the week off.

Most people would've been thrilled at the kind of treatment she was receiving for her grieving, yet Rukia couldn't help but feel miffed at the cowardly hand Isshin was playing. She was as close to unemployment as the fine line of a knife's edge. It was probably only in memory of his son, that she'd been kept on at all.

"Um, Ma'am, will this be credit or debit?" the timid sounding store clerk asked, when she'd simply held out her check card. Lapsing from her thoughts, she glanced at the total, deciding instead to pay the small sum cash. The change she got back wasn't much and she simply dropped it inside her purse, hastily snapping the top shut and scooping up her small plastic sack of groceries.

The clerk—she thought his name might've been Hanataro, wished her good day, turning slightly she made her reply and in consequence…bumped into the hard form of a man. "Oh, I'm sorry," Rukia said immediately, when he didn't move. She looked up into a pair of piercing green eyes of the brightest emerald shade she'd ever seen. His thin mouth moved, his voice a soothing melodic baritone, "out of my way—"

"Ulquiorra! Apologize this instant!" roared a female voice. The owner appeared as a tall leggy woman with long wavy green hair falling to her shoulders. Her long baroque style coat swished over gray slacks and velvet pumps. A swinging medallion of a round gold evil eye hung onto her large bosom. For a second, Rukia had the crazy idea this woman and her friend Rangiku were related.

Scary.

The green-eyed man rolled his eyes to the woman, his mouth pursing, "fine then. I am most sorry, Miss-?" Rukia knew better than to give her name out to mere strangers but with the approval beaming on the woman's face, she couldn't help but comply. "Rukia Kuchiki, sir?"

"He's Ulquiorra Schiffer. And I am Neliel Tu Oderschvank." The woman cheerfully supplied to Ulquiorra's stare. "He's a bit of a social misfit, I'm afraid. You'll have to excuse him," Neliel added with a covert smile, dropping her voice a little but he still heard, scowling even harder.

"Neliel, we must be going," Ulquiorra reminded her tightly, not liking to be made fun of. Rukia noticed the paleness of his skin, a vivid contrast between the back of his coat collar, styled similarly to Neliel's, in the Goth fashion. _Were they Cosplayers or what_? She politely bowed to them, "it's been nice meeting you, Schiffer-san—"

"Call me Neliel," said woman remarked amiably.

"Neliel, then." Rukia smiled in return getting a cold stare from Ulquiorra. His bright eyes followed her all the way out the swinging door and even as she crossed the street, she knew if she'd turn around, he'd be there at the store window watching her.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Ulqui-orra?" Grimmjow repeated, his eyebrow rose as she recounted her encounter with the peculiar pair earlier in the day. "Yeah. Schiffer was the last. Sounds German," she said thoughtfully, cracking open the blue can of Bepsi and handing it to Grimm. He looked at the can curiously before cautiously taking a sip. "What is this stuff?" he asked after a minute or two from his initial swallow.

"You're kidding me right?" Rukia incredulously turned to meet the wide teal eyes of the _Vampire_, not that she knew of course. "No, I'm not," he said solemnly. She chugged down a brisk gulp of hers; then set the can down onto the warm cement rooftop creating a tiny ring of condensation. Grimmjow followed suit, still wondering about the strange metallic taste left on his tongue.

"It's soda! You know like Coca-cola?"

"What's that?"

She sighed, shaking her head tiredly; _he was hopeless_. The sky darkened, the sun's last rays shooting across the clouded heavens; though it was a little odd, the meeting place, she had to admit the view of the setting sun was breathtaking. He thought so too, for his teal eyes were turned rapturously up to the see the last of the glistening light vanish with coming night.

Inwardly and for a split second of time, he felt the air thicken as if something were approaching. He tried to brush it off then realized with dismay _who it was_. The sun had disappeared in the gathering dusk; he stood, hurriedly brushing his pants off. Rukia looked up at him, not understanding his agitation. "Is something wrong?" she murmured, the shadows throwing a fitful possessed light onto her small face.

Grimmjow felt the veins in his arms knot; _he was close_.

"Up. Come on, you can't stay here!"

"What do you—?"

"No time to explain. Please just go!"

Hearing the frantic note his voice, she got up reluctantly, her eyes accusing, "what's wrong with you?" Grimmjow shoved his hands through his hair forcefully, more with anxiety than anything else. "I wish I could tell you," he said before pushing her toward the emergency stairwell leading to the empty alley below. Doubtfully now, she wrapped her fists around the railing, "really? Well then next time I expect some damn decent answers!"

With her threat hanging in the air, she began her decent down, missing the darting shadow that crossed way above from the rooftop next over. Grimmjow looked down, making sure she'd walked away then he pivoted slowly around to face the black-haired man staring with blank hatred in his vivid green eyes, a teal sheath hung at his waist and a sword with a silver S-shaped guard was raised threateningly toward him.

"What took you so long, slayer?"

*~*~*~To be continued*~*~*~

AN: sorry about not updating for a long while D: was very busy. Well kudos to Kluxces for the idea about Ulquiorra :) anyway, please review!


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